The present invention relates to a plug-in unit storage rack-type apparatus and, more particularly, to a plug-in unit storage rack-type apparatus which dissipates heat of plug-in units stored in a rack-type case by air supply and exhaust by a fan.
In a conventional plug-in unit storage rack-type apparatus shown in FIG. 7, subracks 202 each storing plug-in units 203 from the front side, as shown in FIG. 8A, are inserted and fixed in a rack 201 as a case. This rack-type apparatus has a heat dissipation structure comprising fans 205, air intake portion 204, and exhaust portion 206.
In this heat dissipation structure, the fans 205 draw air from the lower portion and blow it upward to forcibly cool the plug-in units 203. Air supply and exhaust are done by the air intake portion 204 provided at the lower portion of the rack-type apparatus and the exhaust portion 206 provided at the upper portion of the rack-type apparatus, so an air path as shown in FIG. 9 is formed.
If dust enters the rack 201 together with air, the dust sticks to the solder portion of a VLSI chip mounted in the plug-in unit 203. The dust may absorb moisture and short-circuit the circuit. The conventional plug-in unit storage rack-type apparatus has a filter 207 at the air intake portion 204, thereby preventing the fans 205 from drawing dust.
In the conventional rack-type apparatus, the plug-in units 203 are inserted/removed through the front side of the subrack 202. To prevent interference between adjacent units, clearances as shown in FIG. 8B are ensured between the plug-in units 203. Dust enters from the clearances due to the suction force of the fans 205. In fact, a large amount of dust enters from the clearances on the front side of the plug-in units 203.
It is therefore a principal object of the present invention to provide a plug-in unit storage rack-type apparatus capable of preventing dust from entering from clearances between plug-in units.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a plug-in unit storage rack-type apparatus comprising a plurality of plug-in units, a subrack for storing, from a front side, the plurality of plug-in units at a pitch including a clearance for preventing interference to an adjacent unit, wherein the plug-in unit has microbristles for closing the clearance to the adjacent unit when stored in the subrack.